The word ‘legend’ is thrown around all too readily in the beautiful game, but that is a tag that should be bestowed upon a key figure of Manchester United’s modern era – Wayne Rooney.
Plucked from Everton as a bulldozing teenager, the England and United great went on to achieve remarkable success during a glittering 13-year stay at Old Trafford, claiming a whole gamut of silverware, alongside his record total of 253 goals in all competitions.
Right from the outset, following his debut hat-trick against Fenerbahce, ‘Wazza’ simply looked born to pull on that famous red jersey, having also put the ‘devil’ in Red Devils with his relentless, full-blooded approach.
Yes, there were low moments – including his public desire to leave in both 2010 and 2013 – but the highs were so much more memorable, be it that overhead kick in the Manchester Derby, or his long-range stunner away at West Ham United.
Part of the famed forward line, alongside Carlos Tevez and Cristiano Ronaldo, that claimed Champions League glory in 2008, Rooney was simply a menace in his pomp, with the great Sir Alex Ferguson previously suggesting that he could have played “in any era”.
Not only that, but the ex-Everton man was also seemingly the man for any position, be it as a number ten, a centre-forward, a winger or – as was the case in his latter days – as a central midfielder.
Why Wayne Rooney moved into midfield
It’s fair to say that much of Rooney’s best work for United came at the top end of the pitch, with the versatile speedster memorably scoring 34 goals in all competitions during the 2009/10 campaign, while operating as a centre-forward.
As he himself later admitted, however, he “hated” playing as the lone number nine as he “wanted to get involved” in the game, having notably moved into a number ten berth following Robin van Persie’s arrival in 2012.
That duo notably combined on the day that clinched what remains United’s most recent league title, with Rooney picking out the Dutchman with a delightful lofted pass over the top. Van Persie, of course, did the rest.
Such a moment perhaps hinted at a future for the Englishman in a deeper role later in his career, with Louis van Gaal subsequently opting to deploy his skipper as a central midfielder during his time in charge.
Speaking in April 2016, Rooney then admitted that he was looking to emulate teammate Paul Scholes in that role:
“I have played and watched Paul Scholes play that role for years and I always knew that one day that is where I would play, so I have tried to learn and watch what he did. It is still early days, but hopefully, if I keep playing there, I can develop and get better.
“We have got a lot of pace in the team now and I think I can read the game quite well – whether to go forward or stay deeper and leave the space for the other lads.”
Most memorably, Rooney started in a deep-lying berth in the 2016 FA Cup final, with the Daily Mail’s Sami Mokbel writing at the time that the 30-year-old ‘ran the show’ in that eventual 2-1 victory.
To have moved from operating in the final third to then pulling the strings in the centre of the park seemed like a natural progression for the now-retired star, with that scenario perhaps now repeating itself with regard to Bruno Fernandes.
Man Utd's "legend" could now be emulating Rooney
After the highs of that Wembley triumph at the end of Van Gaal’s tenure, Rooney – who played as a midfielder in England’s unsuccessful Euro 2016 campaign – saw his change in role prove short-lived amid Jose Mourinho’s arrival, with the Portuguese coach stating that his captain “will never be a number six” in his team.
Just a year later, ‘Wazza’ was on his way back to Everton after enduring a bit-part role in claiming Europa League and Carabao Cup success in 2016/17, before ultimately retiring in 2021 after spells with DC United and Derby County.
There is perhaps the view that it was a mistake for Rooney to have tried to change his game in the latter stages of his career, with analyst Michael Cox writing in 2017 that he ‘had not taken to that role because he does not have the mobility to play there’.
Touches
110
Pass accuracy
79%
Key passes
6
Shots on target
2
Shots off target
0
Big chances created
0
Successful dribbles
2/5
Duels won
7/17
Long balls completed
7/12
Possession lost
31x
Dribbled past
3x
Perhaps there may be a fear of Fernandes enduring similar difficulties, with the £300k-per-week talisman also not exactly the most defensively-minded figure to call upon. Indeed, against Nottingham Forest in midweek, he was dribbled past on three occasions and lost the ball 31 times.
Despite those concerns, the decision to move the 30-year-old into a deeper role – amid his previous work as a number ten – does look as if it could prove far more successful than Rooney’s own late career venture.
That was again evident against Forest as the Portuguese playmaker initially struggled when operating behind Joshua Zirkzee, before gaining greater control after a half-time reshuffle saw him slot in alongside Casemiro, as he went on to rack up six key passes in total.
The reported Real Madrid target has been in fine form as part of the midfield duo after netting against the likes of Arsenal, Leicester City and Real Sociedad, with Amorim describing him as the “perfect captain” amid criticism from treble-winning hero, Roy Keane.
Also described as a “legend” in his own right by his manager, Fernandes has previously hinted that he envisages his future as a number six, again mirroring Rooney in having plotted out the latter stages of his career.
The only concern will be whether the former Sporting CP man – like Rooney – has the physical capabilities to make himself a long-term fit in this role moving forward, with The Athletic’s Carl Anka previously noting that the ‘central midfielders in Amorim’s 3-4-3 are chosen for their athleticism and tackling qualities first and foremost’.
The plan is working at the moment, to an extent, considering Fernandes’ individual brilliance, but it does beg the question as to whether he can maintain this momentum in the centre of the park.
With the midfield maestro perhaps approaching legendary status himself, he must ensure that his United career does not peter out in the same way that Rooney’s did before him.
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